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Council spends £1million protecting newt colony - then discover they don't exist
Last updated at 12:37pm on 17.05.08Generally speaking, no great crested newts is good news for developers.
The shy amphibians can force building plans to be redrawn because they are protected by EU law and the Wildlife and Countryside Act, making it illegal to capture or kill them or disturb their habitat.
But a lack of them has left Leicestershire Council crestfallen and £1million poorer.
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Protected: Great crested newts
Officers spent the money to protect a suspected colony after finding evidence of them in ponds by a £15million road scheme.
But yesterday they admitted it was all money down the drain after more tests showed no great crested newts at all.
The episode prompted council leader David Parsons to demand a policy rethink from Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.
He said: "We have to safeguard wildlife but we need a change in the law. This is a lot of money – the public will take it badly."
The council had to suspend work on the bypass for the village of Earl Shilton after evidence of the 6in newts was found during surveys last summer.
A 1,000-yard exclusion zone was set up around the ponds while further tests were done.
Experts later confirmed there were probably no more than ten newts and perhaps as few as one.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds still had to be spent on newt-proof fences and traps to help move the newts – or newt – when hibernation ended in the spring.
But council engineer Derek Needham said yesterday: "We have caught normal newts but no great crested newts."
Officials could have faced a massive fine or jail if they had not protected Slippery customer: A male great crested newt the "colony".
Reader views (5)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
The tax payers have been harmed and it looks like the law protecting these fish has no protection for people and their money.
- Tom, Jacksonville, AR USA
We have a colony of pissedas newts in out village. I don't think they're on the endangered list. They're noisey and obnoxious creatures.
- Frank, England.
Is there anything else they can find to waste taxpayers money with. It beggars belief sometimes what they spend our money on.
- Dave Robinson, Schuylkill Haven USA
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